Antiskid chain



Patented Feb 23, 192%.

v UNITED STATES .ALIBElR'l E. BEAM, BBAYME R, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ELLA BEAM, OF BRAYMER, MISSOURI, AND ONE-HALF T0 EDWARD BEAM, 0F BBAYMER,

MISSOURI.

ANTISKID CHAIN.

Application filed. March 23, 192 5. Serial No. 17,721.

. To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

'Be it known that IQALBERT E. BEAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Braymer, in the county of Caldwell and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antiskid Chains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to antiskid devices for application to the tires of motor vehicles. and one object is to provide a simple and durable device of this character which may be stamped from sheet metal at small cost.

A further object is to proviple devices of this character which, in one form, will pre-- sent substantially continuous surfaces to the road and thereby overcome the jolting effect imparted to the motor vehicle by the transverse links of the conventional nonskid chains.

Another object is to arrange the road-engaging elements of the device in a manner to effectively prevent skidding in any direction.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a motor vehicle wheel equipped with the nonskid device.

Fig. 2 is a broken inverted plan view of the nonskid device detached from the wheel.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the device.

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary side elevation of a wheel equipped with a modified form of the device.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line VV of Fig. 1. of the device removed from the wheel.

Referring now more particularly to the form disclosed by Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, 2 designates a metal strip of suitable length having blades or road-engaging members 4 and 5 projecting substantially at rightangles from its longitudinal margins. The blade 4; are spaced apart and certain edges 6 thereof lap portions of the spaces 7 between the blades 5, while edges 8 of the latter blades lap portions of the spaces 9 of the blades 4 to present a substantially continuous surface 10 t0 the road, so that the devices will not cause jolting of the vehicle such as occurs when running on a hard surfaced road with the conventional nonskid chain provided with transverse links.

The edges 6 and 8 are also included in opposite directions from each other to form points or spurs 11 and 12, respectively, the former of which are adapted to engage in the surface of the road and check the wheel A, on application of the brakes, when the vehicle is traveling in the direction of the arrow at, Fig. 1, while the spurs 12 are adapted to engage in the surface of the road on application of the brakes when the vehicle is traveling in a reverse direction to said arrow a.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the wheels of the vehicle will be held from skidding irrespective of whether the vehicle is traveling forward or backing up. It is also immaterial whether the spurs 11 or 12 point in the forward direction, and hence care need not be exercised in applying the devices to the wheels. In addition to the spurs 11 and 12 preventing skidding in a direction longitudinally of the strip 2, the road-engaging edges 14 and 15 of the blades 4: and 5, respectively, prevent lateral skidding to either side, and hence skidding in all directions is effectually overcome.

When the device is arranged to extend longitudinally around the periphery of-the tire B as shown by Fig. 1, a pair of strips 2 are preferably employed and connected by transverse chains 16, which are not intended to engage the surface of the road unless the same is sufficiently soft to permit the blades 4- and 5 to sink to the depth of said chains 16. The chains 16 are of suflicient length to straddle the transverse arch of the tire tread, so that the strips 2 will be positioned far enough from opposite sides of a center line extending around the tire B to prevent lateral displacement ofsaid strips 2, and if found desirable said strips 2 may be anchored in any conventional way to the wheel spokes C.

Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the ends of the strips 2. In the drawing, I-have shown one end of each strip provided with a link 18, while its opposite end is equipped with the conventional hook 520 for detachably engaging said. link 18.

In the form disclosed by Figs. 4: and 5, the metal strips 2 extend across the tread of the tire B, and each strip 2 is provided at its ends with hooks 22 for detachably engaging chains 24, which extend around on each side of the tire B and are detachably sa-iddevices Ireservethe right to such other forms .as properly fall within thesp'irit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what lclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. lnadevice of the-character described, a member consisting of :a'flexi'blemetallic strip of sufficient length to extend almost entirely around the periphery of a tire, spaced blades formed integral with and projecting at substantially right angles from the longitudinal margins of said strip and outwardly beyond the ;periphery zof the tire, the edges of said blades being inclined at an angle to the body cat the "strip, and means .for detachably :conmeeting the ends of said strip.

2. In a device of the character described, a member consisting of a flexible metallic strip of suflicient length to extend almost entirely around the periphery of a tire,

spaced blades projecting at substantially right angles from the longitudinal margins of said strip and outwardly beyond the periphery of the tire the blades at one margin having edges inclined in an opposite direction from edges of the blades at the opposite margin, and means for detachably connecting the ends of said strip.

3. A device of the character described consisting of a vpair of metallic strips each of sufiicient length to extend almost entirely around the periphery of the tire, spaced blades projecting at substantially right angles from the longitudinal margins ofsaid strips the blades at one margin lapping the spaces between the blades at the opposite margin, means for detachably connecting the ends of said strips, and transverse members connecting said pair of :strips.

In testimony whereof I 'alfix my signature.

ALBERT E. BEAM. 

